Reflecting Sunlight to Save the Harvest

How long will it be before the orchardist will be coloring fruit on the underside of low-hanging branches by the use of reflected sunlight? A highly interesting and unusual experiment along these lines is being conducted by the American Fruit Growers at a ranch near Wenatchee, and the experiment has proven partly successful. Recently, about 80 members of the 1923 orchard excursion inspected the trees on which the experiment is being tried. Under one tree, a large square of white beaverboard had been placed at an angle that reflected the afternoon sun up through the low-hanging branches of the tree onto the underside of the apples. The fruit thus exposed to the reflected light showed a distinct shade of color, while the fruit located similarly on the trees and not subject to the reflected light was distinctly and decidedly green. Under other trees, slacked lime had been placed, and although the reflecting qualities of this material did not appear to be as great as those of the beaverboard, still there was a decided tinge of color on the fruit. In another case, clean straw had been put under several trees for the same purpose, and even here the shaded fruit seemed to have a slight flush.